Drew Doughty Contract Negotiation Update

As of 4:58 pm today, our source told me of forward progress on the Drew Doughty contract. It may have started yesterday. While we don’t know who has the most recent offer, Dean Lombardi has finally given Mark Guy (Doughty’s agent) the LA Kings’ counter offer and a short discussion has ensued. There is talk about the length of the contract and seven years may be the target if the money and other terms fall into place. If Drew’s people decide 7 years is too long, the next round of discussions may be to shorten the deal and increase the price although we have heard Lombardi has little interest in giving Doughty “Anze money.”

We also heard Drew wants this contract freaking done. Look for at or about August 7 to be the “it better be by then” date.

Now, the next thing I am about to tell you, you must promise to take with a huge grain of salt because it comes in through my source but he has only heard it through a few levels of hearsay & sometimes talk like this is “floated” around by the agents to manufacture interest during contract negotiations. Ready? Apparently, one team may have actually tendered an offer sheet for Doughty. My source (and I tend to agree) believes this is actually bogus and said team never formally made the offer sheet but considered it. Who you ask? The Columbus Blue Jackets. I am calling bull on this one but it was so interesting, I thought I would pass it along.

Second, the Winnipeg Jets may have had discussions with the LA Kings for Doughty. Apparently, they were intent on making a splash and they wanted our golden boy. The names thrown out in the alleged offer were Doughty for Evander Kane and either (not both) Zach Bogosian and Dustin Byfuglien + a pick or Winnipeg’s left wing prospect, Jason Gregoire. Again, grain of salt. What our source is confident about is that the Jets had a lot of interest in Doughty.

I will have a few other tidbits about Brad Richardson, Jake Muzzin and Nicolas Deslauriers in a follow up post. GO KINGS!

“Drew is not going to want to be trapped at sea with 300 Kings fans without a deal done.”

… Honestly – if there are THAT many Kings’ fans who dislike Doughty THAT much because of the fact that the bill’s come due, that’s quite pathetic. Doughty was still the best defenseman on this team last season and in the playoffs, by a considerable margin at that – and I can’t believe how many negative posts I’m reading about him; how many true ingrates there are among this fanbase. There’s a part of me that would almost want to see him traded because of those fans, who don’t know greatness when it’s right in front of their faces (kinda like how it was with Rob Blake eleven years ago), and those fans don’t deserve a player like that.

If Dean Lombardi isn’t interested in giving Doughty a salary in the Kopitar ballpark, he’s more short-sighted than I previously thought. Drew means just as much to this franchise as Anze does; there’s no question in my mind of that. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg with Drew Doughty. If the rest of what he has to give ends up being given to another team, then once again the Kings will have no one to blame but themselves. Almost thirty years ago, the Kings were dumb enough to let go of Larry Murphy. Letting go of Doughty, or creating an environment of bitterness between he and the organization, would be an even bigger mistake. Just shut your mouth, toss your ego to the side, and do your damn job, Dean.

Wow. I didn’t take that comment about the cruise as hostile or indicative of ingratitude at all. I took it to mean that being on a cruise with 300 fans asking you constantly “hey dude when are you gonna sign?” would get tiresome and be annoying. Not that people would be assholes to him because he hasn’t signed yet… Clearly that’s how you took it, but that definitely isn’t what he said. He didnt say what popped into my head either…. But interesting that your reaction went right to people being ingrates and mine went to people loving Drew on the team and WANTING him to sign, so excitedly asking him about it the one chance they get to be in real conversation range with one of their favorite players.

It’s not “stop dragging this out who greedy bitch”

It’s “we want the comfort of knowing you will be a king for a long time”

We all like our hyperbole and Doughty isn’t the model of fitness. The more grand you are the more scrutinized you are, that’s all the fat jokes are. Taking the leap of calling those people ingrates… well, that’s a leap worthy of the brave Homer Simpson on a skateboard.

“Your bias is showing. Dean may have used the media in questionable ways before, but he certainly hasn’t with this contract.”

… You know he’s dying to, though. And that’s fine, I’m not saying I’m unbiased – even though I’ve praised Lombardi for many things in his tenure here, and will go out of my way to praise him for getting a deal done with Doughty. When I see things in print here like “we have heard Lombardi has little interest in giving Doughty “Anze money”.”, I think “For fuck’s sake, it’s the same old Dean”. Let him prove me wrong. I’m waiting.

Hmmm… See when I see things in print here like “we have heard Lombardi has little interest in giving Doughty “Anze money,” I think “he’s gonna do whatever he has to do, just like Yzerman did. I heard that he had “little interest” in giving Stamkos a five year deal, but he did what he had to do.”

I don’t believe Lombardi has said anything to the media besides some elongated facsimile of “I don’t want the contract to be a distraction to drew’s training and prep for camp” and “nothing new to report, working on it.”

Your bias is showing. Dean may have used the media in questionable ways before, but he certainly hasn’t with this contract. Unless i missed something…

You were watching drew on the kings last yr right? Because last yr was one of his worst, i like drew but he is far from super star status. His talent is on track but his work ethics along with parties with simmer still show immature in him. But its expected with his age, you cant fault fans for being on edge because its very important to people we keep him. But what no one knows is whats going on, and dean is doing his job obviously… Hes not throwing the farm at one player becauae he is ” great” when he still needs better work ethics. And if your tired of all the comments why read the posts? Lol.. I think u took the cruise comment too much the wrong way, take a xanyx and relax. :)

I agree with you about the negativity, but DG’s comments sounded more like lighthearted fun than anything else. If your going to attack someone or single them out, at least wait till the guys really being an ass. Then start your rant.

However I am positive more offer sheets get offered and far more discussed then we or TSN hear about.

I’m willing to believe Columbus kicked the tires on offering Drew, as I’m sure others have as well. But you have to have a really good idea that the player will sign it to be ballsy enough to offer one. The Winnipeg thing is more intriguing to me than any purported offer sheet.

“We also heard Drew wants this contract freaking done. Look for at or about August 7 to be the “it better be by then” date.” What the threat in this “ultimatum”? I can’t believe that Drew would just up and leave Newport Sports. That would make no sense.

Do we have any idea if Doughty and Tim Adams have spent any time with Tim Adams? I hope so.

I bet you are fun drunk at parties. I can see it now,
“WOO HOO, I AM DRUNK! LET’S JUMP IN THE POOL!!”
am i wearing anything under this?
I DON’T CARE, THE POOL!! THE POOL!! THE POOL!!
why is everyone staring at me?
MAKE WAY FOR ME!! GOING IN THE POOL!!

Hard to argue that the value isn’t there but I’m of the mind that so long as drew shows commitment to his training and to the organization, then I’m not trading him for any package. No matter what is offered for drew, nothing can replace what he has done and can do for our team’s culture and identity which at this point is extremely important. We are on the verge of turning a corner in that department and what’s around That corner is different with our very own drew than it would be with other players, regardless of their talent level.

Lats summer he took too much time off because he was overworked. Too much icetime, and the olympicsduring the previous season. He was burned out to start last camp, but I honestly don’t see him coming to camp out of shape this season.

He has had basically an entire summer to rest, recuperate, and prepare. He didn’t get overworked last season so the laziness issue will be a moot point. I’m not saying overwork was an excuse for last summer, but it’s a damn good reason, and showing up out of shape shouldn’t be an expected result every summer.

The only reason the fat jokes even appear is because people use it whenever he plays poorly by their standards, and they need something to bitch about.

Dominick
.you are right Drew most probably did have burnout
from rookie season. And he was amazing!
People tend to forget he is still a baby. Might be superstar in the making, but emotionally he is just 21
How many shenanigans we you all a part of when you were that age?
I predict a fit and determined Doughty come training camp.
GO KINGS GO!!!